Summary: Set in S4 after Jeremy was killed. What if Damon hadn't had her turn her humanity off? What happens when Katherine shows up in person at the boarding house?
"No, no, no, no. I can't. I can't," Elena Gilbert sobbed.679Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡggOxbOTgQc
The match she held burned her and she let go. Before it could hit the floor though, Stefan Salvatore caught it and put it out.679Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7UvuDcBfv4
"Listen to me, Elena. You can do this," Damon encouraged her. "Let me help you."679Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBxtVR04wIs
She dropped to her knees and sobbed.679Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9ZCQoOn13N
He knelt down by her.679Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnyZXswtzWI
"I can help you."679Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCnadW8m4Vo
She wrapped her arms around Damon Salvatore and sobbed into his shoulder. As she did, he wrapped gentle arms around her and looked up at his brother.679Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwd7Ib5cjPd
"We have to do something. She won't be able to live like this," he told his little brother.679Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs1S331PHZZ
"I know."679Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeZSdqh8Re9
He looked at Elena again.679Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ82Hqdsqlr0
"I can help you, Elena but right now, I want you to come home with me."
Half an hour later, she and Damon were in Damon's room. Elena was seated on his bed and Damon was seated beside her.679Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmMdfwWEkkB
"It'll be okay, Elena. You'll get through it."679Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgaKAaOzf4y
"Have you been like this before?"
"Well, not like you are, obviously but I have some experience with losing someone close. You know the basics, but you don't know what happened before Katherine."679Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7ys6ogy94e
"What happened? Whom did you lose?"679Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX7WZNl2cXP
"We lost our mother. After that, we vowed to stay close and to never let a girl get between us."679Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWIFojcyUkR
"But Katherine did."679Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡftdl15oN0L
"Yes. But not until after I met her. Stefan met her while I was fighting in the war. I met her after I came home on leave to see Stefan."679Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsqFKGaxShu
"So, wait, you were in the war?"679Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSrOwdX3gRm
"Yes. For the South; and that is not something you forget. My point is that time heals some things. It did for me."679Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcipl628pEb
"How?"679Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlQuKSBYfZg
"By enjoying everything life can give you. And you have people that are willing to help you in every way."679Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ2k6I78DgM
"Thank you, Damon."679Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpxvDgxTDwe
"You are very welcome, Elena."679Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZRi9dPKG1f
"Am I interrupting something?" came the voice.679Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2GgID2Yjdj
They looked to see Katherine Pierce standing in the threshold, the cure in one hand.679Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOqYuAd0x5C
"I assume you want this. That's why you're looking for me. We can give Elena half and I can use the rest to Klaus. Assuming Elena wants the cure. Or shove it down either Klaus' or Silas' throat. Pick either one, but I vote for Silas. He's awake and that's bad news. Klaus can be dealt with another time."679Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtSCfoBuZHZ
"How brave of you to come here after everything," Damon commented, as he glared at her.679Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4ACsSFGH42
"It's not my fault Silas killed him. All I needed was the cure. I didn't know he was going to kill him. But I wanted to get it and then go," she explained.679Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ58H9M5GL4l
She set it down on the table and walked into the room.679Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7gZ6hm8fmA
At vamp speed, Elena pinned her to a wall with a hand around her throat.679Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAn4aeNH4Qs
"Don't," Elena growled in warning and anger. She wanted to rip her head off, but knew they needed answers and she had them. "You have no right to come in here and talk about my brother!"679Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5ueyJLL4uE
"I was trying to apologize. I know what it's like to have all your human family killed," she explained through the pain from Elena's too tight of a hold. "Elena, please," she added in almost a whisper.679Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaTRHCgwxYI
She knew Elena was upset, but she didn't need to be so rough. She knew if Elena didn't let go, she was going to black out. She was already hurt. Now she couldn't breathe and her vision was dim and gray.679Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKE0uInNsf2
Damon saw that Elena had too tight of a hold on her and saw Kat's reaction. Then he smelled the mixture of hybrids and her blood. That's when he knew he had to help her. She was dying. No wonder she had said she didn't want Klaus dead yet. She had been apologized.679Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj0D680GGOG
He was instantly at Elena's side.679Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm2SlBwZmkP
"Elena, let go," he said, as he used the Sire bond to make sure she'd do what he asked of her.679Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVZKD0hHccR
Elena let go and stepped back, as she wondered what was wrong. As she did, Katherine slid down the walk with her back up against it. She coughed and gasped as she sat there with her eyes closed.679Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrEEym4hITj
Damon knelt down beside his Sire.679Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsveJzxoi95
"Damon?" Elena questioned.679Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC5lBCYaOav
"Bitten by hybrids," he told her.679Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4uKn5AryPF
"That's what that smell is?"679Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO7SeKyG7vT
"Yes."679Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡucOD986VbI
The elder vampiress stopped gasping and coughing. She felt extremely weak and tired, as she dimly heard their conversation.679Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPBXd8yIqyl
He looked at his Sire. She looked so pale to him.679Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡutFz1fXJFU
Her head rolled to the left and he gently used his hand to keep her head up.679Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8iq4dLaNFu
"Katherine, can you hear me?" he called.679Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvwpu6G4802
"Damon," she whispered.679Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJnXeFF1QWz
"How long ago? I'm going to help you."679Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxCiruWzRAP
"Two hours," she whispered.679Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4tduCk4QXf
As he picked her up in his arms to get her on his bed, she went limp as she blacked out.
Once he had her on his bed, he sat on her bedside and looked at Elena.679Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk29B1jZbOL
"Go see if there's anything left of the cure in the basement."679Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPHDB2qWo6n
He watched her vanish to go obey him.
Half an hour later, he had given the cure to her and they both were standing at her bedside.679Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP1bdcIGsPv
Kat groaned, as she came to.679Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9n87wjmJER
When she woke up, she saw that she was on his bed and they were both looking down at her.679Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsfXRR2MNsH
"Welcome back," he greeted her.679Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8AB0nMdHbi
"Thanks," she replied.679Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYzzyCFrk4l
Kat sat up in bed and smiled warmly at them.679Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqWXxRJ2bnU
Elena smiled back.679Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmGgaikVCxt
Damon just looked down at her.679Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡejYClWZMr3
"You saved my life," she added.679Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj9tnyj7dOT
"You're welcome," Elena said with sympathy.679Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDzjPO8sM8s
She knew Elena was trying to apologize.679Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpf6vCplflQ
"It's okay, Elena," she assured the youngest vampiress out of the three of them.
